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Written by. Jude Bokovoy

Tyrone Spates, known as the 鈥淛esus loves you guy,鈥� is one of Monmouth鈥檚 newest residents. Standing on the four-way intersection connecting Monmouth Avenue and Highway 99, Spates proudly wears neon clothing and shirts that read 鈥淛esus Loves You,鈥� as he dances and waves for residents to honk and smile at.聽

Q: What鈥檚 your full name and mission?

A: Tyrone Spates, just to let people know Jesus loves you.

Q: How long have you been in Oregon, where else have you lived?

A: I鈥檓 from Memphis, Tennessee, and I鈥檝e been here three years 鈥� Salem and here.

Q: How long have you been doing this?

A: For three years 鈥� since I got here.

Q: What inspired you to do this?

A: I was in prison. I got in the wrong car, and I get 23 years in the penitentiary. And I had open heart surgery鈥� April 8, I didn鈥檛 eat, sleep or take a dump for two weeks. So you know I was in bad shape. I picked up the bible, and I went right to Matthew 7:7 and guess what it says; 鈥榓sk Tyrone and it will be given, seek Tyrone and you will find, knock and the door will open onto you鈥�. I said 鈥淟ord, don’t let me down here.鈥� And when I called Him, the mic camera said 鈥榮pecial report to medical.鈥� When I called Him, they called me (in). When I called, he came runnin鈥� for real. And when I got out of prison, I said Imma tell everybody to the end of the world, that You (Jesus) loves me, and you love them too. And that鈥檚 what got me doin鈥� what I do.

Q: What is your goal later in life?聽

A: Well, I was homeless for three years. I got me a housing voucher in six months and I couldn鈥檛 find no where to go with my voucher. It鈥檚 like (having) winning a lottery ticket but can鈥檛 cash it in. Lord told me go call Miss Capi Lynn. She works for the Salem Journal newspaper. She鈥檚 my angel, my brother said 鈥榮he鈥檚 your vessel.鈥� God used her for a vessel and got me off the street. February 15th my voucher was over with, I called Miss Capi, she said 鈥渂aby we鈥檙e going to do something about this.鈥� She got me right here right now. I stay right there (proudly stating his address) and I got a housing voucher. The whole house is functional, everything been given to me, brand new. And everybody ain’t giving this to the homeless. My mission is to get me something like a food truck to feed the homeless. It鈥檚 (there鈥檚) not homeless in Monmouth, but they homeless in Salem. There鈥檚 a lot of homeless people in Salem, up on the bridges. So I go where people don鈥檛 even go, where churches don鈥檛 go. See people using drugs, they need help. I pass out sacks of food, peanut butter sandwich, a bag of chips, a cake and a water bottle. That will go a long ways when you’re homeless. I understand, I used to get it myself, I know how much it would help a person out. I try to do it everyday, I try to record myself doin鈥� it, but it鈥檚 hard when your passin鈥� out a sack lunch and trying to record myself and do all that at one time. So I just pass out and only let God bless me.

Q: How do you know Miss Capi?

A: I used to stand outside the Salem Journal for six hours every day and wave at traffic. And I was just doin鈥� it everyday. I just love to do it. She said can I tell your story? I said sure. She put me on the front of the newspaper. There was a big ol鈥� article about me. She just told everything about me you know. You know I told her about you, (Spates told Capi). I鈥檓 going to make sure she puts in that you’re my angel, you鈥檙e going to be in the paper too ma鈥檃m. I told her last night that I was going to meet you today.聽

Q: What鈥檚 your newest blessing?

A: Now He blessed me over here at the Chicken House (Kentucky Fried Chicken). I put the application in, she said Tyrone you got the job. From 4:30 p.m. they close at 9:30 p.m. so I don鈥檛 know what time I get off. Today鈥檚 my first day of work. I鈥檓 a dishwasher so I鈥檝e got to watch a tape and then wash the dishes. It’s been 26 years since I鈥檝e had a job. So I don鈥檛 know how it鈥檚 gon鈥� go, I really don鈥檛 even know. I can鈥檛 wait to get up there, my brother said 鈥渓et your first impression be your best impression.鈥� So I鈥檓 going to try that, go with all black on (unlike his typical neon attire accompanied with a Jesus Loves You shirt). I wasn鈥檛 getting nothing out here at first. I was just waving, people give me donations sometimes. I sell Jesus Loves You shirts, I ain鈥檛 got no more shirts because my funds have had ran out. So when I get some funds I鈥檒l sell more Jesus Loves You Shirts. I give a lot to small kids to inspire them to tell your mothers you love them. My mama held me by the hands. She said son I love you and kissed me. Six hours later she was in the hospital, she had a blood clot in her stomach and she died. I never got the chance to tell her that I love her, and it hurts me everyday. That鈥檚 something I鈥檒l hold for the rest of my life. She told me that, but I never got the chance to tell her that. I tell everybody, tell your mother you love her, cause look to your right, look to your left, somebody won鈥檛 be there in a minute. People don鈥檛 like when I talk like that, but that’s the truth.聽

Q: What inspired you to sell T-shirts and what colors do you provide?

A: Well, I can get any color you want. But they say I got to get with the program I got to get black and gold, yella, I want to get all the colors this week. I got size small to a 4x. For $20, and I make $6 off a shirt (0.30% profit) when I sell them. I love standin鈥� out there and makin鈥� people smile. I turn your frown into a smile. It takes so many muscles to frown, your whole face stressin鈥� out. You鈥檒l live longer (if you smile) for real. He (God) ended up blessing the (t-shirt) business. All the blessings delayed, not a blessing denied. So if you’re asking for something and He hasn鈥檛 given it to you, just wait he gon give it to you. It took him three years to give me mines. I鈥檇 been homeless for three years, my brother said 鈥渃ome back here鈥� I said 鈥業 can鈥檛 go back this is my home.鈥� If I come back down there in six months, real talk I鈥檇 probably be dead 鈥� Memphis is warzone for real. I鈥檓 so glad to be down here. I can take a walk around. In Memphis, when you park your car to fill up for gas, they jack. So when you fill it up, they take the car. I can鈥檛 go home, this is my home up here.聽

Q: I heard that The Sippery is going to sell your shirts, is that true?

A: Yes! I鈥檝e got to say something about her too. I sold the lady a shirt in a big ol鈥� black truck one day. The next morning she called me and said this lady right here Tyrone, she wants to meet you. And you know I didn鈥檛 know. She said 鈥淚 own The Sippery honey you can come into my place and sell your shirts.鈥� I said what? She said 鈥測eah.鈥� I didn鈥檛 want to miss it because I want her in the paper too.聽

Q: Do you like it when people honk at you?

A: I love it. It鈥檚 different here than in Salem. Why I say that, is 鈥榗ause in Salem, if you have an old white man and you an old white woman, she鈥檚 got to ask her husband. I watch them, she asks can I wave at him? He say yeah, she goes crazy. But down here, mhm, they don鈥檛 do none of that. They wavin鈥� off the top, it鈥檚 different around here. It don鈥檛 take a lot to make me happy. You know sometimes it takes cars, money, not me. I just see people smilin鈥� and I鈥檓 happy.聽

Q: Do you see yourself stopping at some point?

A: Yep He鈥檒l (Jesus) be back in a minute. Imma stop when he gets back. It ain’t much longer of me doin鈥� this, no talk, real talk.聽

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu